WALKS AND EDGINGS. 221 



other bold shrubs, and there it throve and made a lovely belt of 

 colour every autumn for over twenty years. But in war-time the 

 shrubs began to encroach, and the unmbwn Grass to come 'in, and so 

 we had to change it. 



Thymes (Thymus). These fragrant turfy plants tempt one to 

 make edgings of them, and they charm so used on warm or calcareous 

 soils, not so good on cold soils except on raised banks or rock garden. 

 T. micans I use as a modest green edge. Some of my Thymes 

 puzzle me, stubby little cushions in flower, and there must be good 

 hardy edgings among the many species known on the northern hills. 



The Carpathian Hairbell (C. carpaticd). There are several good 

 forms of this fine plant, a white and delicate intermediate colour, 

 between white and blue. All mixed formed an attractive edging to 

 a bed of Rose Zephirin on its own roots. A good perennial, may it 

 remain long at its post. 



Hepatica (Anemone Hepaticd). Often too scarce for edgings, and 

 barely seen as poor forgotten dots, I have at last taken courage and 

 made some edgings of it in the past fine October days. But as it has 

 a poor chance in the open sun, it is used to border the paths under 

 the pergola, where the shade will be right for its health. The plants 

 are all of the wild blue kind, never having seen any of the other 

 variations so good. 



The Silvery Speedwell ( Veronica Candida}. This, an old friend 

 of the rock garden, has proved a good edging plant in leaf, effective 

 at all seasons and with rich purple flowers in early summer, growing 

 in any soil and of easy increase. Among the many New Zealand 

 Speedwells there may be one or more good edging plants, but I never 

 found one, save V. Lyalli, which is hardy, but not very effective in 

 leaf or flower. Our dwarf native Speedwells I tried, but they seemed 

 to sicken for the hills. 



The Forget-me-nots. Of these, the best is the true Forget-me-not 

 and its forms, which make a pretty, broad edging to a mass of shrubs 

 in cool soils and have been sometimes charming and free in bloom, 

 but a little wayward and apt to get longing for the streamside, and 

 then to get " see'dy." Also as soon as the aphides find them in the 

 garden out they swarm so as to make them no longer look like a 

 Forget-me-not. On the waterside this does not happen, as the 

 aphides have no love for the water. The Swiss Forget-me-not makes 

 a pretty blue edging, but to keep it in health it wants frequent 

 replanting, which is against its use. 



The Dwarf Partridge Berry (Gaultheria procumbens). This dwarf 

 evergreen makes an admirable edging for beds of choice evergreens. 

 It is not fit for the flower garden, which should be in the full sun. It 

 is easy to grow and increase in any free soil. The larger Partridge 



